Transition
by Perfect Image
Summary: Challenge Fic – In an alternate universe, two entirely different animals meet and develop a partnership of sorts. Subaru Kamui - Not SLASH


**Disclaimer: **If you wish to sue this girl, you will be faced down by a protective German Shepherd Dog. Said German Shepherd Dog will inform you that this girl that you wish to sue does not own the characters mentioned in the story before taking a rather large chunk out of your leg. Or your neck.

**Blue:** Originally, this was a drabble challenge issued to me by Desen. It ended up in the back of my computer simply because of other obligations. Now, I've dug it back out and I'm going to make this into a sort of continuing story. Here's the first chapter, and hopefully, other chapters will follow. Please enjoy, everyone, and please don't be too hard on Desen.

Oh, by the way, I tried to make it like Desen's _Scarlet_ but I failed horribly. How the HELL does she do it?!

**Summary: **Challenge Fic – In an alternate universe, two entirely different animals meet and develop a partnership of sorts. Subaru + Kamui | Not SLASH

* * *

_Transition_

_By Perfect Image [Blue]_

-

It's a dog.

That's the first thing the cat realizes right before falling into darkness.

It's a black dog with unnaturally green eyes. And that dog has just saved the kitten from obvious death, a pack of some sort of breed –Pomeranians?—having circled it.

When the cat wakes up again, fuzzy and unable to see anything except those green eyes, it realizes something else.

The dog is _huge_. And it's a puppy.

The cat, Kamui, is rather pissed when he passes out once more.

-

It's a black furball.

Subaru places the sodden thing between his paws and gives it one huge lick.

It's an actual animal.

The dog sighs and spits out the thick hairs that came loose in his mouth before sniffing the thing to confirm his suspicions.

It's a feisty thing.

Subaru whimpers and jolts back, narrowly avoiding another pawful of claws hurtling toward his still-stinging nose.

It's a _cat_.

The puppy can only whine softly as he realizes his predicament, having just saved his supposed enemy and being too kind-hearted to do anything about it.

He's rather nice.

The grudging purrs are accepted with glee, as are the stiff-legged advances that the black kitten makes toward him, purple eyes narrowed in concentration.

When Subaru leans down to sniff the little thing's head, fur heavy with street water, he hears it meow a name.

"_Kamui." _

His reply is rewarded with a distrustful nudge of Kamui's jaw, a '_thank you'_ for saving him.

"_I'm Subaru."_

-

It always rains in this city.

Once more, for the third time that week, water fell from the sky.

Kamui could find nothing in this alley, nothing except his own shadow and the one of the dog that followed him.

Rain was landing in giant droplets all around and there was no shelter.

Subaru –that _dog_—was a Labrador retriever, and he had no such fine pedigree, a stray street cat rather than a lost show dog separated from its family.

The damn thing shook behind him, splattering Kamui with more water, causing the cat to shiver and sneeze.

"_Watch it, you damned dog. I hate water!" _A hiss accompanied this shrill screech.

"_Sorry," _came the crestfallen voice from behind.

For a few seconds, silence reigned. And then…Kamui noticed he wasn't being hit by raindrops anymore.

Looking up, the cat blinked a few times, mouth dropping open in a wordless mew before he shook violently.

The puppy stood above him, body blocking the rain from hitting Kamui.

"_I rather like it." _The puppy offered lamely as Kamui continued to stare.

Subaru didn't move once until the rain completely stopped.

-

It's so very hot now.

Subaru didn't really know what to think.

He knew things though.

He knew it was hard to find water.

He knew it was hard to find food.

He knew people didn't have much pity for stray dogs here, it seemed.

It had been better in the country, he decided. It had been better except for one thing.

The kitten was gruff when he came back, sitting down beside Subaru and licking his chest fur in embarrassment before gesturing with his tail toward one of the many apartment doorsteps.

When Subaru got there, he found both milk and water.

When he returned to Kamui, the dog found a dead pigeon waiting for him, a trail of blood leading him to the actual killer, feasting on a rat of his own.

"_What?"_ the kitten had growled softly when the dog sat down beside him, feathers and flecks of blood still sticking to the edges of his lips, _"If my portable shelter and guard dog died, I would be in a rough spot, now wouldn't I?" _

-

Subaru is soft.

That's what Kamui tells himself every time he curls up next to the dog, only to awaken the next morning before he does to creep away to doze somewhere else until the dog wakes him up violently.

Subaru is also warm.

This, Kamui also concedes, kneading at Subaru's broad flank with both front paws, being careful not to awaken the sleeping dog.

Subaru isn't so bad.

Kamui decides this when the dog wakes up one morning before he does. The cat is woken up by Subaru's warm tongue passing over his form again and again.

The kitten merely purrs, twists slightly, and bats up at Subaru's nose with gentle paws before rolling back onto his side and relaxing into sleep.

-

Subaru is afraid of other large dogs.

Those tiny yappers that Subaru took care of before were nothing compared to the mangy mutt that he faces now.

This one is old, missing a piece of one ear. His ribs show through, and he's facing down Subaru, teeth sunk deep into a half-eaten ham.

Subaru wants to forget about it, scavenge elsewhere. But, the reminder that Kamui is sick --wheezing and coughing-- drives Subaru forward.

The half-grown Labrador faces down the dog, head lowered and hackles raised.

The old dog gives him a saddened look, but he backs away, limps away.

Subaru takes the meat carefully, drool beginning to gather in his mouth as he tastes it. But, he forces himself to return to the cat, ready to share his meal as Kamui has done so often with him.

-

The kitten is careful when he examines Subaru for ticks.

It's something that he's gotten rather good at. Often, he is able to avoid them or at least pull them out of his own fur.

But, much to Kamui's shock and dismay, Subaru is a nest of the little parasites. They suck on the poor dog's blood, growing large and fat.

It's easy for the black cat to settle between Subaru's shoulder blades, to position his mouth parallel to the dog's back before taking one fat bug between his back molars and crunching down.

Subaru always makes sure to reward Kamui in some way.

The kitten is particularly fond of fish from the dock.

The fishermen are particularly fond of retrievers, working dogs that provide them a bit of company each day.

Subaru treats Kamui to a spotted mackerel, shipped from across the country.

-

Kamui is separated from Subaru when they both celebrate their second year of life. Kamui has been two for some time, but Subaru is just now that age.

Kamui trots off, promising Subaru that he'll get something special, that today is the best day in their entire lives.

That time is early in the morn with the dew still stuck on the tiny grasses that sprout from the cracks in the sidewalk. And now, with twilight embracing the city, he was still gone.

Subaru goes to search for him, head down to the ground with nose brushing gravel in hopes of finding some sort of scent.

Yet, it is no use.

Kamui's scent disappears within the confines of a warehouse, amid disgusting smells of diesel and smog and dirtied humans.

Subaru has lost his friend, and though Labradors can not howl, he tries to sing of his loss.

Gods, does he try.

* * *

_tbc_

_"Devastation and Reform", Relient K, recorded 2006 _

_released in 2008 in album "Five Score and Seven Years Ago"  
_


End file.
